Kvelertak's latest single has a classic sound, but "classic" only begins to describe the inspiration behind their new track, "Fanden ta Dette Hull."

"In Stavanger city museum, there used to be a exhibition in the basement called 'Crooked Animals and Smiling Skeletons,'" the band says. "The story behind this name is pretty simple. Most of the skeletons are as old as the museum. They had, after so many years, become crooked and it looked like they were smiling. The first thing you could see was a skeleton of 'Homo Sapiens' and it was a real skeleton of a man who grew up in my neighborhood in the 19th century. This guy was buried last year, in 2019. 'Fanden ta Dette Hull' is the story of his life. And what a life!"

The song opens with a guitar lick that hits the melodic rock sweet spot, adds a driving drum beat and incorporates a lengthy build before the vocals come in for a truly accessible rock track, even if the lyrics don't come through in English.

"Fanden ta Dette Hull" follows on the heels of the previously released "Bråtebrann" and "Crack of Doom," with the latter track featuring a guest turn from Mastodon's Troy Sanders. The songs all appear on the new record Splid (which means discord in English), which is due this Friday (Feb. 14).

The album is their first new music since 2016's Nattesferd album, and their first release with new vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen. "Splid is a deep dive into western gluttony, our own stupidity, and the abyss of the earth," the band says. "Working with Kurt [Ballou] again has been amazing and we're extremely happy with the production. We've pushed ourselves to the edge this last year — musically, physically, and mentally. The result is one hour of catchy riffs, punk rock, and heavy metal influenced by a world in discord to accompany our way towards Ragnarok."

Pre-orders for the Splid album are being taken here. Kvelertak return to the road, kicking off a major European tour leg later this month. See all of their dates scheduled here.

Kvelertak, "Fanden ta Dette Hull"

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